Someone Else's Shoes
by Virgo Writer
Summary: When life doesn't go as planned we find ourselves making empty wishes, but what if they came true? Rika thought she wanted things to be different, especially with Henry, but when she finds herself in an AU suddenly she isn't so sure.
1. Be Careful What You Wish For

Edit: 2/12/09. And not just a tiny one. I decide to rewrite the entire first chapter which may be deemed by some as a bit of an extreme in terms of overhauls, but it was necessary. After a good critical review, I took a look back at the first chapter of this story and I have to say I have no idea how any of you got through the first chapter. Rika sounded almost suicidal just because the boy she liked might not like her back. It was completely out of character, and I'm surprised I didn't get flamed for that, because I certainly would have deserved it.

So here is the rewrite. I bring you a stronger Rika and a more convincing segue. I hope you like it as much, but preferably more than the previous version.

* * *

"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Be Careful What You Wish For

_. . . I Wish . . ._

_How many times have you said those same two words? _

_How many times has frustration of some kind forced them out of your mouth?_

_How many times have you let them be said unthinkingly, never actually meaning them in the slightest?_

_I'm sure it has happened more often than you can remember, and never did you expect someone to actually make that wish come true. To be honest, neither did Rika._

_But somehow . . .  
. . . somewhere . . ._

_Her wish was heard . . .  
. . . and it was granted._

* * *

Rika Nonaka shifted uncomfortably, sandwiched as she was between two of her closest friends who liked each other _so_ much that they couldn't possibly sit next to each other. Instead the two glanced meaningfully across her, blushing brightly any time they caught the other's glance. Rika refrained from rolling her eyes, accustomed to this sort of thing as she was.

It was borderline pathetic, but Rika had the decency not to say so. It had been five years since D-Reeper, and Takato still hadn't worked up the courage to let Jeri in on his feelings. Not that Jeri wasn't well aware of them, but Jeri just wasn't the sort of girl to make the first move. The most forward she could bear to be with Takato was the various hints she would drop regarding upcoming events, which would in turn lead to quazi-dates like the one they were currently engaged in.

Jeri had shrewdly hinted of the 'grand opening' of a new ice cream bar down town in the hopes that Takato would suggest they two attend it together. Takato, apparently seeing fit to follow some sought after advice form Ryo of all people, had instead invited _everyone_ to attend, which was how Rika ended up on Jeri and Takato's quazi-date along with Herny and Ryo. The two other goobs – Kazu and Kenta – had declined the invitation, citing a previous engagement that undoubted involved something latently homoerotic.

Rika glared dangerously at the counter of the packed ice cream parlour, before quickly turning her eyes down to her lap before anyone noticed. Apparently she wasn't quick enough, because Jeri had not failed to notice the poisonous look she had aimed at the cashier.

"Are you ok?" she whispered quietly, so as not to draw the attention of the two boys they were seated with, nudging Rika's side gently.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, unwilling to entrust her secret to anyone.

Jeri gave her a sceptical look before announcing – loudly – that they just _had_ to see the bathrooms.

"Why?" Takato asked, sending her a biscuit-arsed look. "They work just the same as any other toilets."

Jeri rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same at how cut her would-be-boyfriend (if he would only come out and ask her) looked when he was befuddled (which was pretty much all the time – Takato only really had two settings: confused, and –for lack of a better word – genki, and Jeri found both of them equally adorable). "Boys," she scoffed. "They just don't understand."

Rika frowned too, but followed after Jeri all the same. Like Takato and Ryo, she had no idea what all the fuss was about, but figured it was safer not to argue with her friend. Rika had been to the building a couple of times under its previous purpose, and she didn't remember anything particularly interesting about the plumbing, nor did she see how it could possibly be improved. As long as it was clean, and as long as it flushed, Rika certainly wouldn't fault them.

Rika decided that she was correct in her supposition once they reached the toilet – there was absolutely nothing interesting about the bathroom. Irrespective of any intrigue, Jeri quickly herded out the four girls using the bathroom, and barred the door from prospective occupants.

"Jeri, you're being creepy," Rika warned the younger girl, assessing her with a look of indifference. "That last girl hardly had time to wash her hands. Do you know how unhygienic that is?"

Jeri was unphased by the comment. "Don't think you're fooling me with that 'I'm fine' business," she began in a cool tone that could have come from Rika herself. "I saw the look you were giving that girl back there."

"What girl?" Rika replied neutrally. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jeri gave her that same sceptical look once again. "The one who was talking to Henry."

Rika flinched, her cool mask falling for just an instant. She almost began to protest, but Jeri made it clear she wouldn't be fooled. Rika sighed. "I just don't see how she can flirt with him like that," she complained, a light blush forming on her cheeks.

"Why?" Jeri asked. "Do you want her to give you lessons?"

"Don't be like that," Rika frowned. "You know we're just friends. I'm just saying that it's kinda sick her being so obvious like that."

"So you're saying that you'd feel the same way if had been Takato? Or even Ryo?" Jeri questioned, her tone almost smug.

"Definitely for Takato," Rika replied. "The only girl who should be flirting with him is Jeri Kato," she added, making her friend blush in return. "As to Ryo, I don't see what harm it would do. He's almost as bad as she is."

"I still don't believe you about this friend business," Jeri shrugged, seeming to accept Rika's argument as she unlocked the door to the bathroom, "but I promise not to push it."

Rika didn't say anything in response. A thank you would be an admission of guilt, and a denial would be blatantly ignored. Instead she was quiet as she followed her friend back to their booth.

"How as the bathroom?" Takato asked upon the return. Ryo whacked him on the side of the head.

"You can't ask them that," he told the younger boy. "Try something else. Something that doesn't got to do with bathrooms."

And so they were back in the swing of conversation. It didn't take long for Rika to become distracted once again, her eyes drawn to a familiar figure standing stoically beside the counter, waiting for their orders to come. As soon as her eyes fell upon them, she wished she hadn't looked. The girl was leaning over the counter, making the effort to draw attention to her assets, and lightly touching Henry's arm.

The sight made her feel almost nauseas. Before anyone noticed, that is, anyone other than Jeri, she quickly made an excuse to get away.

"I'm sorry, guys," she said furiously, "I just remembered I was supposed to pick up some ingredients for my grandma. I need to get it to her by four so she can start making the roux. Sorry."

And with one last apology she was out the door, without even a word of goodbye to her best friend who stood still at the counter, unhappily being molested by the shop girl.

And so Rika Nonaka made her first fatal wish . . .

_. . . I wish that were me . . ._

* * *

Rika sighed with relief when she finally found herself alone in her room. She couldn't begin to describe the feats she had gone through to get there, namely her mother trying to convince her to give up her favourite pair of sneakers for a pair of monolo blahnik heals. Rika had declined the offer, slamming the door behind her just to emphasise the point.

Now, finally alone, she could be left with the thoughts that had been troubling her since she left her friends as the ice cream bar. Thoughts of Henry, and thoughts of whatever girl had decided to try and take his fancy this time.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence; in fact, it was far too common for her liking. Henry was handsome – even her mother had noticed. He had a slightly exotic look to him due to his Chinese lineage, and a good build due to training in martial arts. He wasn't exceptionally tall, but tall enough. And he had the loveliest blue-grey eyes she would ever see.

She sighed again, although this time more despairingly. There was a reason why she didn't utter these sorts of thoughts aloud. She sounded like a complete and utter fan girl whenever she thought about Henry. She couldn't help but gush about his smile – rare as it was – and his handsome face, even though those weren't the things she liked best about him. Those were just part of the package – trimmings you could call them – but what she really loved about him could have come in a less attractive package, and she would still be undeniably drawn to him.

She was attracted to his strength, and the strength he offered others. To his caring nature. To his sense of responsibility. To his dependability. To the fact that he accepted her even though they were the complete opposites of one another.

But he was her best friend, and that was all they would ever be. There was no place beyond that, and that was something she was going to have to live with.

And so came her second fatal wish . . .

_. . . I wish that weren't true . . ._

* * *

"Rika!" her grandmother called, trying to get her attention.

Rika groaned, silently protesting any form of social interaction. "I'm not hungry, obaa-san," she replied, hoping to divert her grandmother. Seiko probably thought that she was still hung up on whatever comments Rumiko had chosen to make about her choice of attire, but Rika hadn't even let them cross her mind for more than an instant, too hung up on Henry to be bothered with her mother today.

For a moment she thought she heard a chuckle from Seiko, and this was only confirmed by her simple sentence. "Henry's on the phone."

Without wasting a moment, Rika raced to her door and opened it so she could take the phone from her grandmother. The older woman smiled at her eagerness, briefly remembering a time when she had been almost as eager to speak to her own beloved. Somehow she knew her granddaughter would not appreciate such thoughts.

"Hello?" she asked, her heart pounding excitedly. She had the strangest paranoid fear that it was all some ruse, and any moment a voice other than the one she longed to hear would reply.

"Hey, Rika," he answered, "are you feeling ok? You left the ice cream place pretty quickly. You didn't even get your ice cream. I think you made Takato's day."

"I had to get some things for grandma," she answered, being careful not to switch stories and give herself away. "I just completely forgot about it."

"That's not like you, Ri," he replied earnestly, his voice heavy with concern.

"I told you not to call me that," she complained, hoping to divert him.

"What do you mean, Ri-Ri?" he asked, some of his playfulness coming out as he took the bait.

"That too!" she protested.

"How about Ri-chan?" he suggested teasingly.

"No."

"Ri'a?"

"No."

"Rik?"

"How about 'mei mei'?"

"I thought that meant little sister?" she questioned, caught off-guard by the sudden use of his _other_ native tongue.

"Among other things," he replied ambiguously.

_'He thinks of me as a little sister?'_ she questioned sadly to herself, not realizing the hidden message in Henry's words. This of course, led to her third fatal wish . . .

_. . . I wish he thought of me differently . . ._

"So, what was with the girl at the ice cream bar?" she asked casually, trying her best to sound uninterested. She held her breath, hoping that he wouldn't know what he was talking about.

"Who? Kylie?" he asked in response, breaking her heart. "She goes to the school by me and Tak's. Apparently she recognised me from the quiz bowl competition."

Try as she might to contain herself, Rika had to laugh at that. "Only you would have fans from an academic event. You are one of a kind, Henry Wong."

"I don't have fans," Henry protested. "She wasn't a fan. She was just being nice. She gave us all free toppings."

Rika scoffed. "You were being nice" – or she hoped that's all he was doing – "she was flirting."

"She wasn't . . ." he began to argue. "Dammit she was. How come I never notice this at the time? Everyone says I lead girls on, but I really don't know what I'm doing. I thought we were just exchanging pleasantries, but it turns out she was more interested in exchanging bodily fluids."

"Oh, you're so inexperienced to the ways of the worlds," Rika teased with a sigh. "One of these days I'm going to have to sit you down and teach you to flirt."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," he replied, his tone sounding almost hopeful to Rika's ears.

"Don't test your luck, mister," she replied.

"But, Ri-Ri, you know you're the only girl for me," he promised her.

"One of these days, someone is going to take you seriously on that one," she warned him.

He mumbled something low under his breath that Rika didn't here, before his tone suddenly changed. "Hey, Ri, I promised I'd help Suz' with her homework before she went to bed, so I better go. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" he asked quckly.

"Right," she agreed.

"Good. That way we can get started right away on those lessons. Goodnight, mei mei."

"Bye, Henry."

As the phone hung up, Rika made her fouth and final wish. A wish encompassing all others . . .

_. . . I wish it wasn't like this . . ._

~ to be continued ~

So, clearly, completely revamped. No tears. No depression. No near suicide. All is well in the world.

Let me know what you think of the change.

* * *

**Notes:**

**Biscuit-arsed: **I'm reading Trainspotting right now, and I'm 90 percent positive that it means befuddled or confused. Just felt like expanding everyones vocab a little.

**Obaa-san:** Grandmother. I figured that would be the most appropriate address towards Seiko even though I'm using the English names simply because Rika's grandmother is so traditional.

**Mei mei:** Can have different meanings according to the tone, but I'm not Chinese so I can't really explain how this works. The point is that it's ambiguous. The most common meaning is obviously 'little sister', but it can also be used as a term of endearment to mean 'beautiful girl'. As was hopefully implied by Henry's words, he meant the second meaning.

* * *

**Next chapter: Not My Size**


	2. Not My Size

Edit: 6/12/09. Couldn't just stop at the first chapter. I needed a character overhaul here, so the second chapter was not spared. Rika is no longer the wimp she was in the original version (so sorry that I ruined her like that) so she can't be that wimp in the second chapter either. It's not as much as the first chapter, but certainly a lot.

* * *

"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Not My Size

_"We have heard your wish . . . and it has been granted . . ."_

Feeling strangely disoriented, Rika tried her best to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She suddenly found herself seated in a dimly lit restaurant, her hands fidgeting nervously as she twisted the silk napkin into knots. She took a sip of water to try to calm herself, but almost choked on the strange tasting liquid.

_'What am I doing here?' _ Rika thought to herself as her eyes wondered nervously across her surroundings. She felt so out of place.

She was surrounding by couples, each of them sat at a round table adorned with long stemmed roses and vanilla scented candles. The walls were a warm red that bespoke of passion and love. In the background a string quartet played gently in dulcet tones.

In this beautiful, romantic setting Rika was alone.

But at least she looked like she belonged here. She was out of her usual Capri jeans and band shirts. Her hair had been pulled free of its usual ponytail. Her face had been cleared of its imperfections, doused with a layer of pink makeup to match the lovely pink bubble dress she now found herself adorned in.

None of this was right. As beautiful as she appeared, and as lovely an ambience she found herself in, it just wasn't her. She felt as though a hundred eyes were scrutinizing her every move, waiting for her to do wrong so they could throw her out into the street where she belonged. She wouldn't even blame them if they did. They had every right to throw her out – she didn't belong here.

With conviction, she stood to her feet, letting the twisted napkin fall to the floor. The eyes were on her once again, critically evaluating her position. She looked down sheepishly, not daring to meet a single eye as she looked about her for some kind of belongings.

"Rika," a voice said softly from behind her, stopping her in her movements. Her heart thumped away hopefully, and she turned slowly, hoping that the voice truly did match the boy she had conjured up in her mind.

At once her violet eyes met the silvery blue eyes of Henry Wong, and despite her previous awkwardness, she smiled at him.

He looked perfectly matched to their settings, strikingly handsome in a tailored black suit and bow tie. Unlike her, he seemed to blend into the scene with ease, as though this was where he always belonged. He was the kind that could fit into any society.

"Ri-Ri, I'm so glad you made it," he told her softly, smiling gently. "After all the time we were apart, I was afraid you wouldn't come."

She didn't reply to his strange address, confused as she was by his insistence that they had been apart when it was only the previous evening that she had spoken to him on the phone. Or was it? She wasn't really sure anymore, but she could hardly care when he smiled at her like that.

"You look beautiful," he stated in an almost breathless tone as his eyes locked on hers. "Not that you don't always."

"You shouldn't say stuff like that, Henry," she warned him. "One of these days I might take you seriously." She didn't notice her slip; not even when his smile so broaden further and his eyes seemed ten times brighter.

"I wish you would," he said lowly, with an almost sly smile.

"Sit," he told her pleasantly. "I took the liberty of ordering for us."

"Thanks," she said, only a little surprised by his presumptiveness. It wasn't like Henry to be such a control freak – he was usually so easygoing – but she had to admit that it thrilled her just a little. She felt excited as she wondered where this night would lead them

"So . . ." they both spoke at the same time. Rika glanced up shyly, her eyes meeting a stoic pair of silvery blue that watched her unflinchingly.

"You go first . . ." they both started again, their voices mingling in perfect harmony. They coughed awkwardly as Rika made a brief hand gesture to indicate that it was his turn to speak.

Henry nodded. "I really am glad that you're here, Rika," he told her honestly. "I wouldn't want to be here with anyone but you."

"Same here," she responded honestly. In truth he was the only one she would stand this sort of thing for. For Henry she would don a pretty pink dress and heals, and subject herself to the stares of those around her, but only for Henry.

"I must be just about the luckiest guy in the room right now," he added smoothly, reaching across the table to gently squeeze. "You're so incredibly beautiful, Rika. I bet every guy in this room is wondering what I did to deserve you. I admit, I even wonder it myself. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend, Rika."

"Uh . . . thanks," she replied awkwardly, unsure what to do with the compliment. She wasn't used to Henry being like this. She had grown quite comfortable with the way their friendship was progressing, and she didn't know what to make of his sudden obsession with her supposed beauty.

Silence and awkwardness quickly overcame them as Henry continued to hold onto her hand, giving her furtive glances across the table. She really didn't know what to make of this. In a way, this was what she had always wanted, but it didn't feel right.

Maybe it was the setting. Henry fit into it seamlessly, but it wasn't her and Henry. It was somebody else, and it was a feeling that wouldn't leave her no matter how much Henry smiled at her and held her hand.

"Rika-" he started, trying to break the awful silence that had fallen between them. His voice was soft and meaningful, as though we was trying to embed some deeper meaning into the single words, but something stopped him before he could go further.

"Bonsoir, monsieur et jeune dame. Je suis Pierre. Je serai votre serveur pour cette soirée," a smarmy young waiter interrupted. The waiter himself was Japanese, but his French was surprisingly unaccented, and he seemed to play the role of rude French waiter very well. "Shall I bring the dishes?"

Henry nodded, sending her a smile.

Rika suppressed a frown. She usually loved Henry's smile, but there was something not quite right about it this time. It almost seemed fake, and it hurt her to think that Henry could be fooling her.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea how she even got there. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her bed the previous evening, but now it was night again, and she couldn't for the life of her remember what she had been doing during the day. The thought made her dizzy, and paranoia made her wonder if this was what it felt like to have a brain aneurism.

"I don't know how we got here," she whispered dazedly, her words barely carrying over the table.

A look of annoyance crossed Henry's face that she couldn't understand, but the gentleness quickly returned. "I don't either, Rika," he said softly. "I almost can't believe all the things that the two of have been through together over all these years. It's like were finally coming to the end of a journey that has taken us almost ten years."

Henry hadn't understood her, which was so unlike him. Most of the time it was like every thought that passed through her head was shared with him, but now it was like they were on two different wavelengths. She felt like they were in two different conversations.

It wasn't helped by the fact that Henry kept having the strangest slips. First with the 'haven't seen you in ages' business, and now this 'ten years' thing. They had only known each other about six years – that wasn't almost ten by any stretch of the imagination. Again, she didn't correct him. Something inside told her not to, as though it wasn't safe for some reason; as though he wasn't safe.

"I don't want to be here," she whispered quietly.

Annoyance flashed through his eyes once again, but he quickly masked it with concern. "Rika, are you ok?" he asked gently, leaning towards her.

She nodded, but didn't meet his eye. Henry always knew when she was lying, but this time he seemed to accept her answer and move along.

"Rika," he said gently, his features narrowing seriously, "there's something I have to tell you."

She gestured for him to continue, her face looking placid. She waited for her heart to start racing in anticipation, but the usual excitement she felt when Henry got that determined, sincere look in his eyes wasn't there. Maybe it was because the look wasn't quite right, because something about this entire situation was just the tiniest bit off.

But despite this lack of excitement, Rika crossed her fingers beneath the table, and silently prayed that all her wishes would come true, never knowing how bad it would be if they did.

Henry continued.

"Rika, I . . ."

~ to be continued ~

Better, right? I guess now it's time for chapter three to get a makeover.

* * *

**Notes:**

**Bonsoir, monsieur et jeune dame. Je suis Pierre. Je serai votre serveur pour cette soirée: **Good evening, sir and young lady. I am Peter. I shall be your server for this evening.

* * *

**Next chapter: Written in the Stars**


	3. Written in the Stars

Edit: 8/12/09. Again there isn't as much change to this one. The main difference is to the AU personalities. Jeri who seemed to be merely a ditz, has changed to a young Samantha (Sex in the City) if anything making her more forward (and therefore opposite to what was established in the first chapter) and a fashionista of sorts so as to make the point that not all changes need to be bad. Jeri's fashion sense is terrible - you cannot deny that - so I thought I'd give her that much. Takato has gone from merely a drug addict, to an overly anxious professional (making him neither genki, nor befuddled) with OCPD. He also loses his artistic nature, as he is one of the few characters who haven't become actors in the show. The main edit, thus, is to give more depth to their characters and to move away from the stereotypes. It has also lost some of the contrived elements found in the explanation.

* * *

"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Written in the Stars

_"The place where we are . . . Is written in the stars . . ."_

Rika blinked rapidly, not quite able to believe that Henry was about to say what she thought he was going to say, and not understanding why this was the moment when her heart finally decided to control itself around him. Now was exactly the kind of moment when a racing heart would be justified, but the organ just pumped away at its usual speed as though nothing of interest was happening.

She tried to distract herself by eating as he drew out his words, not wanting to get her hopes up too soon.

"Rika, I . . . lo-" he began to say.

Rika's eyes widened suddenly, but not because of what Henry was saying. They bulged as she struggled to breathe through the rubbery, cardboard-tasting food lodged in her throat. She tried to call for help, but all she could do was point stupidly at her throat by way of explanation.

Henry swiftly moved out is his chair and lifted her into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, tightening them just below her ribcage as he gave a mighty heave to try and dislodge the food. She couldn't help but notice the lack of butterflies as he did so, but she felt that her lack of reaction could be justified by the more pressing matters at hand i.e. survival.

"You ok now?" he asked with concern laced in his voice, but something about it seemed insincere. Perhaps it was his choice of words, and the way every action towards her seemed calculated and impersonal. His touch didn't feel quite right. His smile was a little too cool. And his eyes seemed to hold a sort of barrier she never remembered seeing there before.

"Good," he smiled as he went back to his seat. "Take two," he laughed as though it was some sort of joke between the two of them she was bound to get. "Now let's try this again. Rika, I lo-"

"CUT!" an arrogant voice called from somewhere behind Rika.

"Rika, what is wrong with you today?" a stout man asked as he walked towards their little table. He had stringy black hair and was dressed like he just stepped out of a bad seventies sitcom. "You've been improvising right from the start, which I accepted because I know how you feel about your craft," he rambled, waving his hand airily and rolling his eyes at her apparent attitude, "but that last stunt just ruined a perfectly good take!

"This is supposed to be the big romantic climax!" he cried dramatically, throwing his hands into the air. "It's the ultimate scene where they finally confess their undying love for one another. We can't just have that sort of thing interrupted by some random coughing fit!"

"I . . . un . . ." Rika tried, at a complete loss for words and confused by the turn of events. The dim lighting of the restaurant was gone now, replaced with the bright lighting of the stage. Now she could see the various mechanics that were going on behind the scene, including a large camera pointed directly at her.

"It wasn't intentional, Robert," Henry told the man.

Rika smiled at him, glad to see that Henry was standing up for her. Even though she hated the thought of being a damsel in distress, she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of being _Henry's _damsel in distress. It was so like him to rush to her aid like that. Or so she thought.

Henry continued. "The idiot thought it was a good idea to eat the food," he continued snidely, snorting as he narrowed his eyes at the now gaping Rika. "What a moron."

Rika couldn't believe it.

It couldn't be true. It had to be some sort of joke. This couldn't be Henry. Henry wasn't like that.

Henry was sweet and kind and generous and always put others before himself (sometimes to Rika's chagrin). Henry never had a cruel word for anyone no matter what they said to him in return.

Her eyes frantically searched his face, looking for some kind of tell – something that would tell her this was just some cruel illusion, and this wasn't really Henry. Something to tell her it was just some dream. Nightmare, actually.

"What are you looking at, Nonaka?" he asked rudely, snapping her back to reality.

"I . . . uh . . ." she tried, but couldn't seem to form the words. She wanted to tell him that she was looking for Henry – the _real_ Henry – and that if he didn't bring him back to her, she wouldn't let the fact that _it_ was in Henry's body stop her from inflicting intolerable damage. It was as if her tongue had become numb, and her brain refused to send the instructions to the rest of the body. She just stood there staring at him stupidly.

"I . . . uh . . ." Henry mimicked harshly. "What is wrong with you, freak? Did you just get stupider in the last twelve hours?"

"Forget it," he muttered, rolling his eyes as he turned away. "I have better things to be doing with my time than standing here waiting for you to work out how to string more than two words together. You're not worth it."

He was gone before Rika could say anything else, leaving her to contemplate what had happened to the boy she was with moments earlier. Except for a few momentary lapses, the boy he had been at the table was lovely and everything she adored about Henry, but this boy was something else that was barely recognisable to her.

Rika watched as he walked away, stopping only as an auburn haired girl grabbed him suddenly and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He didn't even react – he didn't return her advances, nor did he push her away – and just stood there like a statute until she was done with him, continuing on his way like nothing happened. Rika couldn't even manage to muster up her usual jealousy.

"Rika, darling!" the auburn haired girl cried as she got closer, a satisfied smile on her lips. "There you are."

Rika scrutinized the girl carefully as she got closer. Her red-brown hair was a mess of short dramatic curls pinned away from her face by an equally dramatic fascinator. She wore a dark violet halter top (which if you looked hard enough, you could see through her skirt that it was actually a bathing suit) with a neckline so plunging that it continued beyond the belt of high-waisted black skirt made of layers of sheer black chiffon that flowed around her as she moved and opened at the centre to reveal two long legs encased in a pair of leather boots. Like anything truly glamorous, she treaded that fine line between haute couture and whore like the perfect acrobat.

Her face seemed familiar. The brown eyes were lined in black and thickly lashed, and surrounded by a smoky grey. The lips were painted deep red that made her look like a creature from a Film Noir – some sort of modern day femme fatale.

Once close enough, the girl blew a faux kiss to each of Rika's cheeks, and Rika was swamped with the scent of expensive perfume that seemed to hover around the other female. Rika suspected it would be days before she got the scent out.

But there was something oddly familiar about the scent – as though she had smelt it before in a much less intense way.

"Je-Jeri?" she asked, the scent triggering the memory of a young girl telling her about how she always wore her mother's favourite perfume to keep her memory alive.

Jeri raised a perfect sculpted eyebrow. "Who else would it be, Rika?" Jeri replied, scrutinising her friend worriedly. "Have you forgotten your best friend or something?"

"No, of course not, Jeri," she answered quickly, not wanting to offend. "It's just . . ." She trailed off, unable to find the words that would appease Jeri.

_'. . . I just always thought it was Henry,'_ she finished off in her mind sadly as she turned her eyes once again to the direction he had disappeared in, hoping that he'd reappear with a his personality back to his normal, impossibly charming self.

"Jeri, why did you kiss Henry like that?" Rika asked, recalling the earlier incident.

Jeri rolled her eyes. "Really, Rika," Jeri sighed. "I thought you were over this. I know he's your ex and all, but you said you didn't care what he did anymore. You know it's only fun – no strings or anything like that. Just making things easy."

Rika didn't really know what piece of information to deal with first. Firstly, there was the fact that Henry was apparently her ex-boyfriend – she wondered when that had happened and how she had missed it, only mildly disappointed by the fact given Henry's current attitude. Secondly, there was the fact that Jeri's 'no strings fun' attitude suggested that her sweet and innocent and shy friend was no longer sweet and innocent. Thirdly, Jeri had kissed a guy that wasn't Takato, which she suspected was the most of wrong of them all, and decided to lead with that.

"But, Jeri," she cried, outraged by the thought of Jeri and Henry being together for reasons not related to her being madly in love with him, "what about Takato?"

Jeri shrugged. "Come on, Rika," Jeri complained, "you know that I consider Takato to be the best lay I've ever had, but if you want to take it any further than every once and a while, it's more effort than it's worth. Henry, on the other hand, requires no effort what-so-ever. He is – as you know better than anyone else – easy in every sense of the word."

Rika gaped at her friend.

"Oh don't give me that look," Jeri scoffed. "Remind me again how many women he was bedding on the side while you two were going out? Or better yet, why don't you remind me how many times you and Henry went out before you let him into your pants?" she asked sanctimoniously, giving Rika a superior look. "As I recall, all he had to do was offer to buy you coffee and you were all over him, so stop with your judgmental bullshit, Rika."

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Rika offered weakly, at least part of her answer being true. She wanted Jeri to be happy, and she didn't see how her friend could be happy without Takato in her life. The two were so close the last time she saw them – you couldn't have one without the other. "Henry's just so cruel."

"Hey, it's not like we like each other," Jeri replied. "We're just doing each other a favour. He's still a complete asshole, but you have to admit – he's the cutest asshole we know."

"Well there's always Ryo," Rika half-laughed in reply.

"Too bad neither of us are Ryo's type," Jeri replied, joining in with more enthusiastic laughter.

"Speak for yourself," Rika snorted.

"Oh please, Rika," Jeri giggled. "I know you totally thought he was hot when we first started this."

Rika started at the expression. "What is this?" Rika asked seriously. "What did we start?"

Jeri laughed loudly. "That's a good one, Rika. You're a real hoot today," she said before catching Rika's eye and noting the serious look on her face. "You're not joking, are you?" she asked, the smile falling off her face. "You really don't know what I'm talking about."

Jeri quickly turned in the direction of the same stout director from before, her features masking the concern that was shown moments earlier. "Hey, Bobby," she called. "We're taking a break. The two of us will be in Rika's dressing room if you need us."

"Whatever," the director replied moodily, pawing over the script with the head writer and two of his cronies. "Just take the whole day off for all I care. I don't know how I'm going to salvage that last take," he added with a glare at Rika.

"This way," Jeri said chirpily as she began leading Rika away. Jeri led her to a room with a violet star on it with Rika's name printed in the centre. The room inside was lush and decorated in shades of red contrasted against an almost clinical white and linings of gold.

"Sit," Jeri commanded, pointing towards a burgundy chaise longue. Rika did as she was told, bouncing a little on the squishy padding. She suspected the lounger was more for show than comfort.

"Rika, what is wrong with you today?" Jeri said finally, her voice eerily calm. "You should know better than to come to work hung over like this. You promised that you wouldn't drink like this on a weeknight."

"I'm not hung over," Rika protested. "I'm perfectly sober, aside from whatever they put in the water glasses on the table," she added, suspecting that the water was just as fake as the food. Had she asked, she would have been told that vodka gave a more water like impression than water and that nine out of ten test groups preferred it to actual water when questioned on all levels of aesthetics.

"Then it must be one of those crash diets," Jeri deduced. "Those things are always messing with your head. What is it this time, Rika?" she demanded. "Algae? Fruits? Foods starting with the letter 'Z'?"

"What foods begin with the letter 'Z'?" Rika questioned, unable to think of anything other than zucchini. "And why the hell am I on a diet? I'm perfectly happy with my body, thank you very much."

Jeri shrugged, the indifference shown drawing Rika's attention to Jeri's own body. Jeri had always had a slim figure, but now there were some very obvious enhancements that Rika had only been mildly aware of earlier. The most notable was not the increased bust size, or even the narrowed waist (Rika had heard about people removing ribs to do so), but rather Jeri's newly shaped nose, which was narrower, and more upturned than she remembered it to be.

Shaking her head, Rika decided it was best to get straight to the point. "Jeri, what was that in there?" she asked, her lips curving down into a frown. "One second Henry was sweet and kind, and the next he was a complete jerk telling me I was a moron and just walking away.

"I really thought he loved me," she finished sadly, glancing down at the ground.

Jeri gasped. "This is worse than I thought," she gaped. "You really don't understand any of this, do you?"

Rika shook her head, glancing up at her auburn haired friend.

"Rika," she said gently, her expression almost motherly, "I really don't know what's wrong with you right now, but you're not going to like what I have to show you." She walked over to the television hidden away in the far corner so as not to detract from the aesthetics of the room. She flicked through the channels until Rika's face appeared on screen, staring back at them with an expression of uncertainty.

_"Well, do you have an answer?" a male voice asked as the image zoomed out to reveal two figures standing on a wharf in deep conversation._

_Rika stayed silent, staring into the ocean. "No," she said quietly, her voice barely lifting over the sound of the waves crashing around them._

_The boy laughed awkwardly, a forced smile upon his lips as anxious blue eyes tried to catch her own. "No, you don't have an answer, or no you don't want us to be together?" he questioned._

_Rika turned sharply, looking at the boy with teary eyes. "How can you ask me that?" she demanded angrily. "You know how I feel about him, Ryo."_

_"How can I ask you that?" Ryo replied abruptly, his eyes flashing with anger. "Rika, can't you see. I'm in love with you, damn it! And I'm just sick and tired of waiting for you._

_"I've loved you all this time," he told her sincerely, "but you can't see that, because all you see is him. It's about time you realized, Rika, there is more to this goddamn world than Henry –bloody– Li!"_

_Rika's expression seemed to sadden at the sound of Henry's name. "Maybe in your world, Ryo," she answered, turning her gaze back towards the ocean, "but not in mine. Henry _is_ my world, and if you can't see that, maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore."_

_"And is there no room for anyone else?" Ryo asked, looking desperate. "Can't you find any room in your world – in your heart – for me?"_

_"I can't betray him, Ryo," she sighed. "It just wouldn't be right to give my heart to another when it belongs so completely to him."_

_"Betray him?" Ryo asked angrily, glaring through his chocolate coloured bangs. "You know what I think isn't right? The way you hang around just pining for him as if he's going to come back. You won't give anyone else a chance to even know you, Rika, you just stand around waiting for him to return to you. I know you don't want to replace him, but you won't let anyone close enough to even try just in case they can._

_"He's been gone for two years, Rika!" he exclaimed. "Two –bloody– years! When are you going to give up on all this and realize he's not coming back to you?"_

_"He is coming back," Rika told him, her eyes narrowed in determination as she turned sharply to face him. "He promised he would, and Henry would never break his promise to me._

_"I love him," she continued quietly. "I love him more than I have ever loved anything else in my life. More than I ever thought possible. I have never felt this way about anyone, not even close. We might have had something, but not like this, Ryo._

_"I'm happy," Rika added wistfully. "This feeling, even though we can't be together right now, it makes me happy. I thought you wanted that for me, but I didn't realize you were so selfish. Why can't you just be happy that we've found each other through everything else? Can't you be glad that I've found something I would give my life for without hesitation, and just let me be happy?"_

_"No, Rika, I can't," Ryo insisted. "I can't because I'm in love with you, and because I know you're not happy. If he loves you so much, than where is he Rika? Why isn't he here with you if he feels as strongly for you as you say he does?"_

_Rika just glared at him, and Ryo shook his head sadly. "I love you, Rika," he said again, "and I would give up everything for you. I'm not leaving until you give me an answer."_

_"Then my answer hasn't changed," she told him. "You don't love me, Ryo. You love _the idea_ of me, and the fact that if you have me, then Henry can't._

_"And because of that, I could never love you . . ."_

_Stay, with me  
Don't fall asleep too soon  
The angels can wait, for a moment_

_Come real close  
Forget the world outside  
Tonight we're alone  
It's finally you and I_

_It wasn't meant to feel like this  
Not without you_

_Cos when I look at my life  
How the pieces fall into place  
It just wouldn't rhyme, without you  
And when I see how my path  
Seems to end up before your face  
The state of my heart  
The place where we are  
Is written in the stars_

"_And so that concludes this weeks episode of 'Written in the Stars_'," the overly perky voice of the announcer cheered as the last bars of the theme song finished. _"Next Week . . ." _the voice continued as scenes began flashing on the screen.

"These are the re-runs," Jeri elaborated, switching the television to mute as she explained. "That's from about a year ago. Obviously, Henry's come back since then and things have moved on. You see, he was like shipwrecked on a desert island for ages, and he lost his memory for ages and when it finally came back, he could only remember up to a month before he went away, which is before he told Rika that he loved her," Jeri recounted excitedly. "And Rika, even though she knew he loved her before he went, isn't sure that he still has those feelings and gets really sad. It's soooo good."

"I take it you're a fan?" Rika questioned, Jeri's giddiness completely at odds with her outward appearance of cool glamour.

"Very much so," Jeri answered. "I was a fan 'Evergreen', which is the show you and Henry were on before 'Written in the Stars' and I always wanted your characters to get together, so when that ended and I heard they were making a spin-off focused on you two, I just had to try out.

"By the way, thanks," Jeri added, dropping her dreamy expression. "By the look on Henry's face as he left, I'd say you just succeeded in extending our contracts for another year."

"Your welcome?"

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that you're all 'art-imitates-life' right now," Jeri said flippantly. "Obviously the whole plot of the show revolves around getting Henry and Rika together, right? So once they get together, that's the end. A season finale, maybe a couple of made for TV movies to wrap up some loose ends, but then we're all out of the job. And I don't know about you, but I love working here. It's easy, the pay is _well_ above average, even for a supporting actress like myself, I get _tonnes_ of endorsement deals to sweeten my pay packet, and at the end of the day, you won't find better writers than this in television.

"Of course, Henry doesn't want to do television," Jeri continued, rolling her eyes at the mention of the shows other star. "He wants to be a movie star, and he can't while the show's still running because it takes up too much of his time – he gets bit parts in B-movies he can fit around the show's schedule, but he can't do the break-out film he wants while he's still doing 'Written in the Stars'."

"Well, why doesn't he just quit and let them replace him," Rika suggested. "If he wants out so badly he should just go."

"Please," Jeri continued, "it would be terrible for the show, but it would be even worse for Henry. He'd lose his entire fan base, and he won't have a chance in hell with public opinion against him. He's stuck here until they write the end. He tried getting them to write him out for a while, but it almost ruined him. No, he's stuck here for the long haul."

"But what did I do?" Rika asked.

"You gave them something to work with," Jeri smiled. "Something to keep things going for another season. It's what you always do. You saved our jobs. I mean, I'm twenty-two and I've been doing this job since I was sixteen," Jeri shrugged, "there's no way I'm breaking free of the stereotype now, so I might as well just bide my time here and prepare myself a little nest egg for when it finishes."

"I guess that's sensible," Rika offered weakly. "How old am I?" she asked in surprise, realizing that this Jeri was almost seven years older than her counterpart.

"Twenty-three," Jeri replied, "you just play a teenager on TV. You've been in the business for nearly twenty-years now, so you're probably worse off than the rest of us. Everyone thinks you're exactly like Rika on the show."

"And what about the others?" she asked worriedly. "What happened to Takato? And the goobs? And Suzie?"

"Well, Takato you'll meet later. He's your agent and manager. He'll be with his therapist right now," she said after a moments thought. "Don't look so shocked," she added when she saw Rika's expression. "He's doing much better these days. The therapist is really helping him through his anxiousness and to over come his obsessive-compulsive-ness. Maybe then we can do things properly," she added thoughtfully, more to herself than Rika.

"By 'the goobs'," she coninued, "by which I assume you mean Kenta and Kazu. Well they're as they always are, they're-"

Jeri tried to say more, but her words were cut off by a loud cry echoing through the vast studios.

"HENWY!!!!"

~ to be continued ~

Character development, that's what it's all about. Feel free to let me know what you think, or ask questions. I'm going to work my way through these chapters, and then see if I can finish the sixth one I started writing ages ago. Chapter 4 may not get a make over, because it is the most decent one but we'll see. It might need just a little tweak to get it to fit the rest of them

* * *

**Notes:**

**Li: **That is simply to indicate that the 'Written in the Stars' characters will have the Japanese last names. This way, if someone is making a comment about a character rather than the person, you will know by the last name used.

**Theme song: **Written in the Stars by Westlife. The song inspired the soaps title, so I thought it would be appropriate to include. Also it fits the plot of the soap opera and has the right sound. If you hear it, you'll realize what I mean.

**Ages:** So in the first chapter, they're all around the sixteen age mark. I think of Ryo, Rika and Henry as being a little older than the others so I'd call Takato & co. fifteen, Rika sixteen, Henry seventeen, and Ryo eighteen or nineteen depending on my mood. These ages are what they would be playing on the show, but most teenagers on television are played by much older actors who need to shave four times a day just to play the part. Do you all remember 'Dawson's Creak'? James van der Beak was **27**! when he started playing Dawson who was 15/16 at the start. That's a _huge _difference. Jason Behr was almost 30 when he was playing the 16/17 year old Max Evans on 'Roswell'. I know this jumping age business seems funny, but it seemed sort of necessary to me at least. So Rika is now a seventeen year old in a twenty-three year olds body. Needed to clarify here due to the age inappropriate behaviour that was mentioned earlier. Given his role, Takato will be out of age order so he will be in his mid to late twenties rather than early twenties.

* * *

**Next chapter: Drivers Side.**


	4. Drivers Side

Edit: 19/12/09. Of all the chapters, this one has received the fewest changes. All I've done to it is fix the spelling mistakes reagarding Takato and Nonaka.

* * *

"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Drivers Side

_"The same old person . . . but in your shoes . . . and I'd know the people that you know too . . ."_

"What's wrong?" Takato asked as he sat himself down on the steps next to Henry.

He didn't answer.

It seemed Henry had pretty much been like this all day. He was acting like some kind of vegetable, or worse; he actually seemed _more_ serious than usual if that's even physically possible.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was on his mind, Takato was proof of that. All you had to do was take a few seconds out of your time to watch Henry watch the pretty redhead in the distance and it would be as clear as day.

Because, you see, that was basically all that Henry had been doing since they had first arrived at the park for another of their semi-annual 'Just In Case Something Goes Wrong' meetings. He had been watching Rika with an intensity that would put even Renamon to shame for the past few hours almost unblinkingly.

"Hello? Henry? You there?" Takato decided to try again waving his hand back and forth in front of Henry's face.

Even the hand randomly blocking his vision of the girl of his dreams didn't seem to snap Henry back to reality. It was then Takato realised there was only really one thing left to do; it was time to initiate 'Plan R'.

"Rika Nonaka just told me she is desperately in love with you," Takato spoke casually as he waited for Henry's reaction.

That, of course, immediately got Henry's attention and he turned to Takato looking almost hopeful behind his serious façade.

"You're pathetic," Tokato sighed shaking his head at his friend's antics. "I think you need a hobby, other than Rika watching."

"I'm pathetic?" Henry asked raising one eyebrow questioningly. "As far as I know, I'm not the one who's been 'not asking' Jeri Katou out for the past five years."

"But that's different," Takato explained with an uncanny spur of logic and intelligence, "I had a bad experience that put me off. When I did tell her how I felt she was possessed at the time and it throws me off every time."

"Sure Takato," Henry muttered rolling his eyes. "That's why every time you try to ask her out you end up asking her where the bathroom is. She must think you have some kind of bladder problem, I can still remember once when you asked her ten times in the same hour."

"Hey, at least I tried!" Takato replied defensively crossing his arms over his chest and drawing his posture straighter. "You never once tried to ask Rika out."

Henry sighed dejectedly as his mind was brought back to its previous train of thought. Lately it seemed he just couldn't get her off his mind no matter what he did, not that it was unusual but I guess really it was in its own way.

Surprisingly, Takato noticed his friend's sudden silence. Even with Henry, who was typically quiet, a silence like that was obvious to anyone who had known him long enough.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Takato suggested using one of his mother's sayings as he watched Henry watch Rika once again with his usual unwavering gaze.

"I don't know," Henry muttered quietly more to himself than anybody else, "it's just . . . when I see her . . . . it's . . . . different."

Takato sighed as he struggled to stop the word 'pathetic' from rolling off his tongue no matter what manner it was supposed to be in. He got the feeling that wasn't exactly what Henry needed to hear right now.

"We know, Henry," Takato started preparing himself to recite a familiar speech not of it's own. "We've all heard it a million times, how different things are when she's around. How the sun shines brighter when she walks in the room. How the flowers smell sweeter to compare with her scent. How the bird's song seems lovelier in an effort to match her voice. How the sky seems bluer in envy of her eyes. How even the brightest stars seem to dull in comparison to her beauty. How the moon fades away in shame. How the . . ."

"No that's not it," Henry said in a whimsical, almost thoughtful tone once he was sure Takato had finished with his little speech. "I mean . . ." he started again pausing while he searched for the right way to phrase it. " . . . than before."

"Um . . . huh?" Takato replied giving up on making any effort to even pretend that he knew what Henry was talking about.

He sighed. "I mean, before it was just like you said. I'd see her and suddenly I was complete, like she was the final piece of the puzzle I've been trying to solve all my life," he said dreamily as he thought about Rika. "But now it's like . . . the pieces don't fit."

"Maybe you're just not in love with her anymore," Tokato suggested almost sarcastically.

_'Like Henry could ever fall **out** of love with Rika,'_ he thought to himself. _'That's almost as likely as pigs flying.'_

It just seemed completely farfetched, totally impossible.

He had know Henry for five years now and he couldn't think of a time when Henry wasn't madly in love with Rika no matter how sure he was that such a time had to have existed.

"No that's not it," Henry replied still sounding far away and barely comprehending the words either of them were speaking.

"It's like she's different," he added his tone very unlike his usual one as he scrutinised Rika's every move. It was almost as if he was looking for something, anything that would uncover the fact that this wasn't the same Rika he had fallen in love with at least five years ago.

"What do you mean?" Takato asked jarring Henry from his thoughts. "She's exactly the same as always. Same attitude, same glare, same clothes, same anger management issues."

"I can see that too, those are the obvious things, but it's the little things that don't seem right, that aren't the same," he sighed exasperatedly before elaborating for Takato. "Like the way she walks, or her laugh. Or the way she smiles. It's as if she's somebody else."

"Well I'm sorry, Henry," Takato spoke with mock defensiveness, "but the rest of us don't spend every waking minute, actually even the un-waking minutes, staring or just generally thinking about Rika Nonaka so we may not pick up on that sort thing."

"I know, Takato," he replied reading between the lines of his friend's little outburst, "but I just can't help but wonder if maybe . . ."

He trailed off unable to articulate whatever it was that filled his mind with anxiety and wonder.

Takato just nodded his head in understanding his eyes filled with worry.

"Maybe tomorrow," he supplied simply a he patted his friends shoulder.

"Maybe," Henry sighed.

~ to be continued ~

Yeah, I know that chapter was short but I guess it was just the sort of thing that deserved to be on its own. That and I couldn't think of a title that would suit both chapters.

* * *

**Notes:**

Surprisingly nothing to say here, I think this one was self explanatory.

* * *

**Next chapter: Collaboration.**


	5. Collaboration

Edit: 22/12/09. Fixed largely for the sake of consistency. My main focus was the introduction of Renamon/Rinny because I always felt that bit was a bit cliched and contrived, although I still like the thought of her and Terriermon together - it amuses me as long as I don't have to concern myself with the physics involved.

* * *

"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Collaboration

_"I could be the one for you . . . if only you'd open your eyes . . ."_

Rika's eyes remained closed as she felt herself returning to consciousness.

She could feel a bright light glaring down on her, but she wasn't quite ready to greet it yet. She just needed a few more minutes more and she'd be awake.

_'Awake,'_ Rika thought pensively to herself. _'That means I was asleep at one point. Which means . . .'_

". . . It was all a dream," she muttered to herself aloud as a small smile formed on her face. She took great comfort in her conclusion.

It was all a dream. Henry's cool attitude. Jeri's new found freedom. Takato's general absence. And 'Written in the Stars'. None of it was real. It was nothing but an illusion – some sort of twisted fantasy, or better still, a nightmare she was more than happy to wake from.

It was all just a part of her unconscious, but she'd be ok know that she was awake. She could get back to life as normal, and not have to worry about such a dreadful dream.

"I think she's coming round," she heard Jeri whisper.

"Are you sure?" another asked. The voice seemed familiar, but indefinable. Rika heard a slight shuffle of feet as the two moved closer.

_'I wonder what they're doing in my room,'_ Rika thought to herself before she paid more attention to her unseen surroundings.

She was starting to get the feeling that they weren't in her room at all. She was lying upon something hard – something that couldn't possibly be her own bed. It felt like there was nothing at all between her and her treasured oak floors. And she was cold, which she shouldn't be unless she had thrown her covers away during the night – Rika was not at all prone to do so, and always woke up warm and cosy.

_'Maybe I fell out somehow during the night,'_ Rika tried to reason to herself. But if so, why did the floor she was lying upon feel suspiciously like concrete?

Very slowly and cautiously she opened her violet eyes, only to be met with a bright light burning into her irises. After a few moments, her eyes were able to adjust and she was able to make out the tall ceiling to which the bright, white artificial bulbs were attached.

Next Jeri came into view, still beautifully adorned but somewhat more modestly. The see-through chiffon, full length skirt had been switched for an opaque pencil skirt that sat low on her hips, revealing just how low her neckline was prone to do. The bathing suit was now laced up about half-way, and she wore a short bolero jacket over her shoulders. Her fascinator had been switched for cocktail hat in the same colour as her suit, thus maintaining her Noir look.

Sadly, this just made things all the more clearer for Rika. She was asleep – probably fainted from shock – and now she was awake, but she was in the same place she left. None of it was a dream, instead a cruel and twisted reality.

"Are you ok now, Rika?" Jeri asked with a slight note of concern in her voice.

"I think so," Rika replied.

"Oh, Wika," called a third figure cried out dramatically, pushing Jeri aside so she could drape herself over Rika in a mockery of concern. "I was eva thso wowwied. Wasn't I, Henwy?"

Rika blinked several times in shock as she watched the young girl turn to Henry, waiting for him to make the appropriate response. The girl was much younger than the rest of them – probably only in her early teens – but it was hard to tell through the make-up caked on the young girls face. She was dressed entirely in pink, right down to her oversized pink purse in which she carried a bichon frise.

"Excessively so, Suzie," Henry replied blandly rolling his eyes at her antics and slouching nonchalantly against a nearby pole. "You were more worried than anyone else. Almost ridiculously so."

_'Suzie,'_ Rika gasped in her mind. _'It couldn't be.'_ But it had to be. Everything seemed to point to this being the same little girl that would greet her chirpily whenever she went to see Henry, and talk to on the phone. The same girl that called her 'Princess Rika' just to glean a reaction from her brother and played 'Pwincess Pwetty Pwance' with Terriermon.

The same girl that adored her brother almost as much as Rika did was now glaring daggers at him momentarily, before turning back to Rika with more of that false concern flashed across her features. "Oh, Wika," Suzie continued dramatically, wrapping her arms around the woman in a crushing hold. "I'm just thso gwad you're awight."

Jeri rolled her eyes. "You do know you don't have to talk like that all the time," Jeri muttered to the young teen. "It's only for the show, Suzie, and it's even more annoying in real life."

Suzie turned briefly from Rika. "Like I don't already know that," Suzie replied almost sarcastically in an emotionless tone as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "My publicist told me it makes me look cuter and is going to help sell my new line of clothing.

"So sthod off, Jewi," Suzie replied overly sweet, reverting to her speech impediment.

Rika couldn't believe this. Seeing her cute little honorary sister practically cursing almost sent her into another fainting fit.

"What's wrong, Rika?" the 'undefinable' voice from before asked with what actually seemed like genuine concern – it was the only voice that sounded even close to being sincerely worried about her well being. "You look at if you've just seen a ghost."

She turned to reply to the person, but her jaw dropped even lower at the sight she beheld. She was not prepared for what she saw, that is, for Ryo Akiyama adorned in the tightest pair of leather pants she had seen in her life, and a loose fitting orange shirt. He looked like some weird cross between a bullfighter and a bumblebee, yet at the same time he looked like the height of fashion. It was a strange mix.

She just nodded silently, not trusting her voice, and not trusting herself not to burst out suddenly with laughter.

"Come on," Jeri said, lifting Rika to her feet. "We've got the rest of the day off, and I think we should shop."

"Je-Jeri," a new voice offered nervously, every word laced with anxiety. "A-as, R-Ri-i-ka's m-man-a-ger and ag-ent, I-I r-r-real-ly f-think it wa-would b-be best f-for he-her t-to rest up f-for the rest of the day."

Jeri sighed huffily. "Fine, Takato," she sighed, sending a snooty look at a gaunt looking gentleman in a neatly pressed suit. Not a hair on his head was out of place, and if not for Jeri addressing him by his name, Rika never would have recognised him for who he was.

"You're no fun," Jeri continued, pouting sultrily at the suited man as she playfully glided her hand down his chest. Takato jumped away from her touch, giving her a frightened look.

"I-I'll g-go get R-r-rinny," he stuttered, taking the opportunity to dash away from Jeri faster than Rika would have thought possible. That really brought her back. Jeri quickly gave Rika a look that seemed to say 'see what I mean', probably referring back to their earlier conversation.

"Oh well," Jeri sighed, wrapping her arm around Ryo's waist. "I guess it's just you and me, boyfriend."

"You know I'd love to, dahling," Ryo replied flamboyantly, "but I've got a gym class in an hour that I just wouldn't miss for the world. You should see the instructor's ass. Buns. Of. Steal," he finished pointedly, almost drooling at the thought.

Rika tried to withhold a shudder.

Jeri shrugged indifferently, obviously determined to go shopping regardless of who was available to go with her. "Feel better, love," she said quickly to Rika as she said farewell by way of another set of air kisses. Without further ado, she was on her way, gesturing for Henry to call her as she left.

This induced another shudder from Rika.

"Shall we go, Miss. Rika?" an older woman asked as she approached the group. She was a yellow-blonde woman of about thirty years, with violet eyes and an almost ridiculously tall form.

Rika recognised her almost immediately. It was Renamon – her digital partner. It was the person she had hoped to see most over the past five years. Without thinking about how strange it might be, Rika threw herself at 'Rinny' and wrapped the older woman in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad to see you," she said quietly as she tightened her embrace on the woman.

Rinny blinked in surprise as she gently pushed herself away. "Are you ok, Miss. Rika?" she asked gently.

"Oh . . . uh . . . yes," Rika said uneasily as she realized that every one was staring at them.

Henry snorted obnoxiously. "Do us all a favour and get a dictionary, Nonaka," she heard Henry mutter as he pushed away from the pole he was leaned against. Rika's eyes narrowed at him as she watched his retreating figure. Gone were the longing looks of old – this _thing_ wasn't Henry, and _it_ wasn't worthy of them.

"The limo is this way," Rinny offered awkwardly, trying to distract Rika from her death glare. She nodded and followed the former digi-fox to the waiting limosine.

"You don't have any other appointments for today," Rinny spoke precisely as the drove along, narrating the schedule of the following days. "Tomorrow your wake up call is set for . . ."

And so it continued much along the same line until suddenly Rika stopped her mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry for before," Rika said quickly. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable . . . it's just . . . I haven't seen her in ages . . . and to see you . . ." Rika trailed off as a silent sob raked through her body, tears falling from her eyes. It had been so long since she had cried like this, especially in front of someone, but she missed Renamon so much and to see her now was like the silver lining to an other wise cloudy existence.

"I . . . it's ok," Rinny replied awkwardly, giving Rika a suspicious look.

"You're not her, are you?" Rinny asked after a moment of observing Rika. "You look like her, and you sound like her. But you're not. You're nothing like her."

"I'm not," Rika admitted, not even trying to hide the truth. If there was anyone she could trust with her secret, it was Renamon.

"Who are you then?" Rinny asked. "Where is she?"

"I don't know," Rika answered honestly. "I guess I'm her, but from somewhere else where things are different. I thought this was what I wanted, but I was so wrong," she said sadly. "I just want Henry."

Rinny gaped as Rika told her whole story, starting with the digimon and the digital world, and ending with her and Henry and how she wanted them to be more than friends.

"So in your world, there's no 'Written in the Stars', there's just you and Henry, like that?" Rinny asked in summary.

Rika nodded. "I know it seems strange to think given your Henry, but if you saw him in my world, you'd understand how easy it is to fall for him," Rika explained with a sad, whimsical look on her face. "He's so smart, and kind, and he always puts others first. He really is perfect."

"I guess he means a lot to you," Rinny nodded thoughtfully.

Rika nodded. "Well, what about you?" she asked, forcing cheer into her voice. "You got anyone special."

Rinny blushed as she realized a commonality between Rika's story and her own life. "Just my husband," she said, trying to keep her tone casual. "Terry."

"No," Rika gaped, a true smile pulling onto her lips. "Not the bunny-dog. I thought you two hated each other."

"So did I," Rinny said with a laugh. "He was always so mean to me. He used to go out of his way to embarrass me in front of other guys, but it turns out that was his way of showing that he loved me."

"So you married Terriermon," Rika mused. "Sorry, Terrence Monet."

"And we have a son," Rinny said quietly. "Gulliver."

"Redhead?" Rika asked, to which Rinny nodded with a painful look. "Loves peanut butter? A little on the slow side?"

"Oi, that's my son you're talking about," Rinny said defensively.

"Sorry," Rika laughed. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just the Guilmon I remember used to be a bit gullible."

"I suppose he is," Rinny admitted in defeat. "And Terry just loves to take advantage of it. You wouldn't believe the tricks he'll play on his own son."

Rika laughed again. "I'm sorry, I just can't get past the fact that you and Terriermon are an item."

"It's not the same," Rinny argued.

"Does he use the word 'momentai' as the answer to all of life's problems?" Rika asked seriously.

"Maybe," Rinny sulked.

"Then it's the same Terriermon, and you're the same Renamon, and you two are an item," Rika exclaimed joyously.

"I'm glad you're happy," Rinny said warmly. "It must be because of what I am to you in your world, but I feel so obliged towards you. As though it were my duty to protect you from all harm."

"Must be," Rika answered quietly before the two lapsed into silence.

Rika used the silence to take stock of everything she learnt that day.

First, there was Henry: the class A jerk. Her sweet and caring, compassionate and wise Henry was nothing more in this world than an arrogant, misogynistic prick who didn't give a damn about anyone or anything. His whole attitude bespoke of superiority and a desire to simply squash anything that got in his way.

Then there was Jeri: Queen of the fashionista's and a modern day woman. The Jeri she knew was sweet, reliable and reserved. She was a shy girl who wouldn't even dare to make a move on a boy who she _knew _was in love with her until he acted first. This Jeri was a woman who knew what she wanted and went for it without reservation. She wasn't tied down by her emotions, and she was a flourishing social butterfly draped in a style all her own.

Next came Takato: the bundle of nerves. The Takato she knew exuded confidence – except when it came to Jeri – and was never seen without a smile on his face. He was sure of himself and had a carefree nature. That nature was completely gone from what Rika had seen. He was so anxious, barely able to get a word out without stuttering and shying away from any form of personal contact. He was suffering, and it made Rika sad to think of him this way.

Ryo was a surprise. He was a womanizer and flirt and a complete jerk most of the time, and that hadn't really changed all that much except for the fact that he now applied his flirting skills to the same gender. He looked almost as fashionable as Jeri, although in a stereotypically gay way.

Finally, Suzie: the pre-teen drama queen. Her wonderful, cheerful honorary little sister Suzie had become this little monster treating people like things that could be used to get her to where she wanted. Her little show of concern had been nothing but that – a show, although for what purpose, Rika would never know. The gentle naivety Rika always saw when she looked at Suzie was replaced with someone jaded and wise to the dark ways of the world, and she wondered what had happened to make her such a pessimist.

Renamon truly was the only silver lining in this world. Even though she wasn't the same, the ex-digi-fox brought a comfort to Rika that she was grateful for. She didn't know how much longer she could have withstood this world without it.

"We're here," Rinny said, jarring Rika from her thoughts.

Rika nodded, waiting patiently as the driver opened her door and revealed a large Victorian style mansion complete with cobblestone walkways and immaculate gardens. Rika didn't know how she was going to survive in such a place.

"The locks are voice activate, so no worries there," Rinny whispered, making sure nobody heard as she walked her boss to the front door. "You don't generally call your staff by their names, but just in case the butler is named Halstead and the head maid Delores. Your bedroom is on the third floor in the left wing. There's nobody here but you."

"Thank you," Rika said quietly.

Rinny nodded. "Everything will be ok, just get some rest. You'll see." And with that the car drove away, taking her only ally with it.

~ to be continued ~

Aren't I good? I even included a summary of the new characters for your enjoyment and worked it in as though it were part of the story. This is the last of the re-writes, so from this point forward it's all from scratch. I hope to have new chapter up by the end of the week, so watch out for it.

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**Notes:**

Um . . . don't think there is anything in this one. I guess if I think of something I'll add it later.

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**Next chapter: Flight of the Concordes**


	6. Flight of the Concordes

Before reading this chapter - if you haven't done so in the past month - please return to chapter 1 and start all over again. Chapter 1 has been completely rewritten, and several other chapters have had significant rewrites and character overhauls. I'd like to thank nuttyjigs who's insightful review inspired me to fix this a little and finally finish this chapter - I tried to fix most of the issues there along the way, but I may have missed one or two of them. Hopefully the work on it has brought it up to par.

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"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Someone Else's Shoes – Flight of the Concordes

_"How can you hate the devil . . . when he looks like such an angel . . ."_

Rika's eyelids fluttered lightly as she stirred from her sleep. She sighed, completely disillusioned by the fact that once again she had woken up in this twisted reality and in a bed that wasn't truly her own.

"Stupid, English mansion," she had muttered angrily to herself last night as she struggled to find her own bedroom in the way-too-big-for-it's-own-good mansion that according to Rinny, belonged to her.

She missed her friends. She missed her home. She missed everything special to the reality she had left behind. It just wasn't the same, and there was no getting used to that.

Her phone rang, forcing her to accept this world and everything about it. _'Probably Rinny,'_ she thought to herself as she reached over to answer, _'given that everyone else around me seems to pretty much hate my guts.'_ What a sad fate she encountered that the only person who cared about her other than those she paid to do so, was Ryo Akiyama.

"Good morning, Rika," Rinny said cheerfully, which made Rika scowl. Rika was not herself a morning person and therefore got highly antagonised by anybody that was.

"I've asked the staff to put out a set of clothes for you and pack your bags," Rinny continued, explaining everything with a cheerful and very awake attitude. "And there'll be a dress waiting for you in your hotel room when you get there for the launch party."

"Ok," Rika replied tiredly. "Remind me again exactly what it is that we're launching?" she asked.

"The new season premiering in China," she told her. "They're the shows second biggest market so the produces like to make a big deal of things for them so as to appease the fans. They're about four weeks behind Japan, so everyone there has probably already seen it from YouTube anyway, but you guys are promoting it irrespective.

"I've sent everything to your blackberry, which is in your hand luggage so you should stay up to date," she finished. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Aren't you coming?" Rika asked after a moments thought. This did seem like an awful lot of effort if Rinny was going to be with her pretty much the whole time.

She could almost feel Rinny blushing through the phone. "I . . . um . . . can't really fly in my condition," Rinny explained vaguely. "You'll have an assistant waiting for you in Hong Kong, but she'll only be dealing with the organizational side of things."

"Ok," Rika replied again. A dirty and ironic thought occurred to her about Renamon and Terrimon being at it like bunnies, but she kept it to herself sensing that somehow Rinny would not appreciate it. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"

Rinny paused for a moment to consider this before answering. "Just be careful of Henry," Rinny relied, her voice quiet and thoughtful. "Just don't let him too close, ok? He's not what you think he is."

"I know," Rika told her with a sad sigh. "He's nothing like the Henry I knew and I guess that's my own fault."

Rinny sighed softly in response. "Have a nice trip, Rika. I'll see you in about a week."

The outfit laid out for her was nothing like Rika would normally choose for herself. That's not to say that it wasn't nice, but it just wasn't very her. A pinstriped pencil skirt, a pair of nylon stockings with dark seams, a pair of black pumps and a cream cowl-necked jersey were laid out for her approval.

But it wasn't really meant to be 'her', it was meant to be whatever Rika she was supposed to be here.

As far as she could tell, this 'Rika' wasn't very nice. She had a lot of acquaintances, but not many friends, which Rika didn't think was to different from herself, but she noticed that the relationships she was supposed to class as friends were so much shallower than her own and so different.

In real life Henry had been a friend above all others. He was the one person she could tell absolutely anything to without fear of judgment. He was the one person who understood her, bar Renamon.

She dressed quickly and made her way downstairs where a breakfast was waiting for her. She tried not to grimace at the items laid on the table – dry whole meal toast, a sliced apple, and a glass of spirulina. Apparently she was on some sort of health kick, which seemed at odds with party lifestyle that her wardrobe and liquor cabinet suggested.

With breakfast begrudgingly consumed, Rika was on her way out of the door. She made note to buy something edible at the earliest opportunity. Trying her best not to alarm the driver, she sullenly asked him to pull over at the first fast-food joint he spotted and treated the both of them to fat-filled breakfast.

At the airport, she was herded onto a private jet. She suddenly realized why Jeri liked being on 'Written in the Stars' so much. Even her mother, who was a top model in Asia, hadn't been afforded her own private jet. This was certainly an aspect that she could stand getting used to.

She happily spread herself over two seats, humming along to the song to the music coming from her mp3 player as she awaited takeoff. Deep in her own little world, she didn't even notice when she was joined by another passenger.

He snorted loudly to get her attention.

Rika sat up suddenly, surprised to meet the slate coloured eyes of the other Henry. Her mouth opened and closed like a guppy as she searched for words, but Henry just rolled his eyes as he sat himself opposite her.

"Unless it's something even remotely intelligent, don't even bother," he told her flippantly as he carefully stowed his hand luggage under the seat.

Rika averted her eyes and tried to get back to her previous activity. Suddenly all the fun was sucked out of being on a private jet.

"You seem chipper," he suggested sardonically. "Someone help you remove the stick from up your ass?"

She sneered at him in response, her lips curling back in anger. "You seem bitter," she responded, mimicking his tone. "Couldn't find anyone desperate enough to sleep with you, I take it?"

"Touché," he responded with a look of interest. "Now there's the Rika we all know and love. How on earth did I go without that sharp wit of yours for so long?"

She rolled her eyes in response, turning her music up louder to try and drown him out. It didn't work, because even though all she could hear was the sound of her own eardrums bursting, she could still sense his presence and it seemed to annoy her beyond reason.

"Why do you have to sit here?" she complained, pulling out one of her ear buds in order to hear his response, but not reducing the volume of her music. "There are several other seats you know, all of them unoccupied."

"What are you listening to?" he asked, ignoring her question.

Rika blushed brightly. "N-nothing," she stuttered, forcing the bud roughly back into her ear and turning to face the window. She could still feel his eyes on her, which made her blush deepen. She had taken the time to load the mp3 player with all of Henry's favourites – Chopin, Bach, and Mozart – and having Henry know that – even if he wasn't the real Henry – made her feel incredibly self-conscious.

Henry continued to watch her curiously, carefully evaluating her every move. Something was different about her. Something about her wasn't quite what he remembered.

He had no idea what was going on, but he intended to find out.

But first . . .

First he needed to make a phone call.

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"What do you mean the studio only booked one room?!" Rika exclaimed loudly at the concierge who gave her best apologetic smile.

"We really are sorry, Miss. Nonaka," she answered. "There was obviously some confusion when the booking was made and instead of booking you two separate rooms, you were put in the same room but with two beds. We are sincerely sorry about this, Miss. Nonaka and Mr. Wong," she added, glancing appreciatively at Henry who was wearing his most understanding look and a charming smile, "but there is really nothing we can do about this. We're fully booked due to your upcoming appearance."

"Just peachy," Rika muttered. "Do you know the numbers for any of the nearby hotels?"

The concierge looked surprised by the question and glanced briefly at Henry. "Uh . . . sure. I'll just . . ."

"Rika, you know we can't do that," Henry cut it, frowning at her as he spoke. "The studio has a sponsorship deal with Crown. It would be a breach of contract for either of us to spend the night any where else."

"And you don't think it's a breach for them to stuff up our booking like this?!" she cried in response, narrowing her eyes.

"It's inconvenient, but it's not a breach," he responded calmly. "I'm sure we can stand each other's company for one night."

Rika nodded, her heart unexpectedly fluttering. The quiet patience he was showing her was so like the real Henry, her heart was almost fooled into thinking it was really him.

But it wasn't, and she resolutely reminded her self of that fact, admonishing her heart for being fooled by this cheap imitation.

"Come on, Ri-Ri," he continued sympathetically, urging her onwards, "with all the promo work the studio has us doing we'll hardly notice at all."

"I told you not to call me that," Rika replied automatically, stomping her foot childishly as she would with the true Henry.

This Henry just smiled at her, his face contorting into a look that was completely unfamiliar to Rika. If she had to name it, she would call the look triumph, and yet it seemed something more sinister than that. It looked alien upon Henry's docile features.

But it passed quickly, hidden by a mask of flirtation. He moved closer, allowing Rika to breathe in his familiar scent. Everything was the same: same build, same height, same eyes, same voice, same scent. It was only his personality that had been turned upside down.

"What shall I call you then, _mei mei_?" he asked sultrily.

"That's fine," she waved off nonchalantly. "I don't mind being your little sister, especially seeing as she is the only person you seem to treat with any sort of decency.

"Ouch, mei mei, you slay me," he complained laughingly. "But that's 'mei mei'," he said changing the inflection in his voice. "_Mei mei_," he said, changing to his original tone, "means beautiful. Or rather, beautiful girl," he finished smoothly, holding out his hand to Rika in a gallant gesture.

Rika gasped, her mouth falling open. It was the same name that Henry had bestowed upon her merely days ago. It floated through her mind, and she desperately tried to recall the exact tone he had used.

She shrugged it off quickly, however, reminding her self of Rinny's warning. This was not the same Henry, and something inside told her that it wasn't safe to forget herself about him.

"Whatever," she snarled at him. "Let's just go already. I have to start getting ready."

"As you wish, mei mei," he agreed following behind her. That same triumphant smiled graced his lips as he sent one last wink at the concierge.

Things were definitely getting interesting.

~ to be continued ~

Hope you all enjoyed that, and sorry for leaving it hanging so long. I'm working up a clearer picture of where I want this to go, aided of course by my cementing the characters a bit more. Let me know what you think.

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**Notes:**

This chapter is practically full to the brim with foreshadowing, and I fear any explanation will take away my joys of dramatic irony.

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**Next chapter: Proverbial**


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